Breastfeeding often requires the nursing mother to sit and support the child being nursed for extended periods of time. If the mother is not comfortable during nursing, the nursing experience can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and unproductive for both mother and baby.
For example, sitting for extended periods in an uncomfortable position may cause a person's body to become tense and can create a feeling of unease or irritability. Such discomfort in a nursing mother can in many cases interfere with lactation. Insufficient lactation can frustrate the child and slow the nursing process, which will have the negative effect of increasing nursing times and the discomfort associated therewith.
The end result of discomfort while nursing is that the mother may elect to discontinue breastfeeding and turn to less desirable alternatives.